Do What You Believe Is Great Work

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We all heard the news that Steve Jobs, the popular co-founder of Apple, died Wednesday. While I was in the airport headed out on yet another business trip, I sat having lunch in a airport restaurant. As I sat eating, they showed Steve Jobs giving the commencement address at Stanford University in 2005 and the caption simply read, Do What You Believe Is Great Work. I remember this speech and how it became an Internet video sensation. But this time seeing it after his recent death has me thinking about life & legacy. It really reminds me of the question that I often ask myself “how do I want to be remembered?” I am reminded that when you do exactly what you were meant to do, born to do, gifted to do, purposed to do, you definitely leave your mark.

I am sure back in the day when Steve Jobs was only dreaming of his life’s calling, folks talked about his ideas. Especially because these ideas started in the late 70’s and technology like he was dreaming of, had yet to be seen. However he pushed passed speculation and hateration to actually create new computer technology (I remember getting the very first apple computer while I was in college) he went on to create music MP3 players, ipods, iphones, ipads and I am sure there is more technology he created still yet to come. Even more so, Steve Jobs paved the way for others to come behind him like Yahoo, Google, facebook, just to name a few. Jobs along with Microsoft’s Bill Gates changed the way people use and interact with technology.

On the very same day Steve Jobs died, I had the privilege of spending the evening with a group of female students at Northeastern University. That evening I sat on a panel with two other professional women, sharing with these college women, pouring into them and encouraging then to make their mark on this world. What I shared with the ladies becomes even more real today “God does not use a cookie cutter when He makes each of us. He makes each of us different, special unique and our goal in life is to find and use our gift.” How Steve Jobs left his mark on this world is definitely NOT my path, shoot I can barely use a computer, but he does remind me that we each have the power to DEFINE our legacy. We each are good at something and it is up to each of us to discover our gift and give that gift to the world as our work. What were you born to do? Be a teacher, lawyer, doctor, performer, event planner, social worker, designer, mother…. I believe when we are working in our gift we not only bless the world but we also bless ourselves as we find and do something that we absolutely love to do. We must each…. Do What You Believe Is Our Own Great Work! So here’s a thought to pounder….what gift do you have to give to the world? When you leave this world, how will you be remembered?

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work, and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.” – Steve Jobs

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” ~ Steve Jobs